February 13, 2025 • 28 mins
In this empowering episode of Your Future Starts Now, Gia sits down with the extraordinary Nicole Eggert, a beloved actress known for her iconic roles in Charles in Charge and Baywatch.
Nicole opens up about her personal journey, including her recent battle with stage two breast cancer, and how she has transformed her challenges into a renewed sense of purpose.
Join us as Nicole shares her insights on her career, motherhood, and the power of purpose. She discusses her latest project, the docuseries After Baywatch: A Moment in the Sun, which aims to share the untold stories behind the cultural phenomenon.
Together, Gia and Nicole explore the complexities of being a woman, the stigma surrounding career transitions, and the beauty of embracing vulnerability. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that success is not just about achievements but about finding joy and authenticity in every chapter of life.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to Your Future Starts Now, the go-to podcast for
extraordinary women who are ready to step into their next chapter with
authentic confidence. I'm your host, Gia Laqua, empowerment coach,
motivational speaker, children's book author, and girl mom. Whether
you're a corporate powerhouse or an entrepreneur, this show is
designed for you. Your Future Starts Now is more than
(00:20):
just a podcast. It's a movement, a movement towards rewriting
the rules of success for high-achieving women. Are you ready
to get unstuck and step into your next chapter? If
so, you are exactly where you need to be. Your future starts
now. Welcome to Your Future Starts Now, the
podcast dedicated to helping high-achieving women redefine success. I'm
(00:43):
your host, Gia Lacqua, and do I have a very special guest
for you today. Today, I have the absolute honor of sitting down
with a woman whose career has spanned decades, whose talent has
made a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, and whose
personal journey of resilience is nothing short of
inspiring. You may know Nicole Eggert from Charles
(01:03):
in Charge, Baywatch, and countless other TV and film projects.
But beyond the spotlight, she's a devoted mother, a storyteller, and
advocate who continues to show up with strength and authenticity even
in the face of life's biggest challenges. Nicole, welcome
to the show. I am truly grateful to have you here with us. That was such
a nice introduction. Thank you so much. It's nice to
(01:26):
be here. I'm excited to chat with
you today. So, you know, before we dive in, I
just, you know, some of our listeners may or may not know, I just
want to acknowledge, take a moment to acknowledge something that's incredibly important
and personal to you. And in 23, you were
diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, a
(01:46):
battle that no one ever expects to face. And
you've been incredibly open about your journey, not just for yourself, but
to raise awareness for others. And in the middle of
all of this, you've been producing the Baywatch docuseries,
which we'll get to in just a minute. But you've said that that sort
of gave you a renewed sense of purpose. And
(02:09):
so I would love to know, can you share what it's been like for you to balance that
personal battle while still putting your energy into something creative
Well, when I actually got my diagnosis in October and
of 2023, You
know, I just really immersed myself in the world of
cancer and what I could do, what
(02:32):
was going to happen, you know, what are my choices and learning
so much about it. But there comes a point where suddenly that's
all your world is. And I
needed some normalcy. So, you know, continuing to do the documentary
was first on my list because we had been doing it
already for four years. We were four years in. it
(02:54):
definitely gave me a break and brought me back to
when life was much more normal and had
a different kind of purpose. So, you know, it
was a really lovely balance for me. And being
a mother also, you know, when
you have young kids, there's not, you
(03:15):
know, you have to step away from what you're going through and still be
mom and run the show, so
to speak, and make everything still happen as smoothly and
seamlessly as possible. So those were sort of my
reliefs from the cancer talk and cancer thoughts
(03:40):
Yeah. Yeah. So, and I appreciate you
sharing that. I think, you know, the purpose and the passion and the love surrounding
you, I imagine must have been a huge support in going
Yeah. It's, um, you know, and it's strange because in
your close personal world, um, a lot of people have
different reactions to it and you kind of lose a lot of friends in the
(04:03):
process as well, which I found fascinating. Um,
but the public and strangers and other, um,
cancer patients and survivors and came
and surrounded me, you know and lifted me up and
really kind of showed me the light and the way
and sharing their stories and their experiences and things that
(04:25):
work for them and don't work for them and It
just I couldn't have done it without it with you know, it's
such a tight-knit world and community and it's
Absolutely. Shows you the power of those communities. Yes. Yeah,
(04:46):
for sure. So talking about the the docuseries, as
we know, you know, Baywatch became a global phenomenon that really shaped
pop culture. And you recently produced after
Baywatch, A Moment in the Sun, which I recently had a chance to check
out on Hulu. And it was amazing. I
will say it made me emotional. And
(05:07):
I, to be honest, truth be told, you and I are both straight shooters, so
I feel like I can say this. I was never a huge Baywatch fan. I
mean, I watched some episodes and I knew of it. I mean,
now Charles is in charge, so that's a different story. But,
you know, it still made me very emotional when I heard
the stories coming through, you know, the individual interviews,
(05:30):
and it was incredibly powerful. But I would love to just
start with, like, what inspired you to do this project? And
what do you really hope for people to take away that maybe
I think you really kind of nailed why I wanted to
do it. It's exactly why. You know, it was
with Baywatch, it was this show that was kind of campy and
(05:51):
not taken too seriously. And, you
know, it was always like the same stories regurgitated over
and over about the people in the cast. And it was always just this
slew of like red bathing suits and hot bodies with big
hair. You know, it was, people were interchangeable and
it just was a brand and you didn't, you didn't really get to know the individuals.
(06:13):
And there's some amazing stories in there and, you
know, people's reason for wanting to be a part of the show. And,
you know, um, it really kind of, for all the
women, it was so empowering, which, you
know, in the media, they played it, they spun it to be, you
know, anti-feminism. And it wasn't, it
(06:34):
was very much. you know, women in power, women getting paid
the same and doing the same job as men, and just
everybody looking great while doing it. And it's, you know,
yeah, there's just so many success stories and people's journeys
before the show, during the show, how it changed their lives and
where they are now, because it's many, many years later, it's
(06:56):
lifetimes later. And I just wanted people
to see all the good stuff that they never got to
see about Baywatch and the people involved in creating it.
That was missing. And I felt like that was such a shame. And
it was sort of a swan song also at the same time, you
know, to acknowledge the 35 year
(07:17):
anniversary of it and sort of It
was like a now or never, you know, this is meet
everybody. We lost somebody during, you know, um,
right after it was released and these
things are just monumental. And so, you know, we
lost Michael Newman and if we hadn't done this, you
(07:38):
know, we wouldn't have been able to interview him and hear his story and what
an important piece of the puzzle he was to the show. And, um,
yeah, just, you get to know people as who they are and not just what
It's beautiful. And there's something you said at the very beginning of
the first episode that really hit
(07:59):
home for me. You talk about how on
the outside, everything looked perfect, right? Everything was,
everyone was beautiful and famous and living
what seemed to be the dream. But behind the
scenes, no one really saw the person underneath it all. I think the words
you used were there was no real truth to people's journey. Yeah.
(08:26):
Yeah. Yes. And, you know, and I
think it's important too, because they did a lot of media play
where they would pit the females against each other and that was all
just made up and it wasn't real. And in fact, everybody really supported
each other on that show. And, you know, that's just what
sold back then was the chaos, you know, and the drama. So
(08:47):
they would conjure up things and it's
good to let everybody finally see that those days are behind us.
We're more into supporting and lifting each other up. So let's tell
Yeah, I love that. And I think the vulnerability and the
honesty is so important too, because to your point,
(09:12):
Yes. And the struggles. Yeah. People were really going through
Yeah, sure, for sure. So you've been in
the entertainment industry since childhood, I know. And
looking back, you know, what what moments stand out
to you as kind of the most defining, not just professionally, but
(09:32):
personally in terms of your growth and development?
Um, I, you know, honestly what comes
to mind first is sort of when I stepped away from it all to
be able to digest it. Um, when you
grow up doing something and I've, that's all I've ever
done and all I've ever known. Um, you have
(09:53):
to take a moment and I was asked all the time, what would you have done
if you weren't an actress? And it's like, well, that's the turmoil in my
own head. I don't know. And, um, you
know, what do, what, what, What other interests are
there? What other things are there? And because
quite honestly, being an actor is not always the, you
(10:14):
know, you can't always like make
a, it's not sustainable, let's say, right? It can be gone at
any moment. And I'm just one of the lucky few that
I've been able to live a life around
doing what I love. But I think stepping away from it to really
see if that's what my path is
(10:35):
or not and to be able to come back to it with a
different kind of passion and a different kind of love and
Yeah. What you said is so important because in
the work that I do, I talk a lot about taking that pause. So many
of us are not in the spotlight as you were publicly, but
(10:56):
we do often find ourselves going down this path and
then we feel sort of stuck in it because we don't know anything else.
Right. And it's kind of scary to lift your head up and say, what else is
out there when you don't know what else is out there? Right. But this is
what you know. And so that can be incredibly hard
for women who have poured themselves into a
(11:17):
career or a job or a role where
for them to suddenly wake up and say, is this really what I
Yes. And those are big questions. And I'll say one thing about any
job in the world, I think, If you stop and
wonder or you pivot and you change your career, people
(11:37):
say good for you, you know, like, you know, congratulations that
you realized you were more passionate doing something else. But in
the industry, there's a stigma and
it's that you couldn't get work or you're irrelevant or,
you know, you can't get a job. And it's, it's really unfortunate
because, it's an added pressure that shouldn't be
(12:00):
there. So if you do want to pivot and you do want to do something else
and venture out and explore another avenue or,
you know, workplace, you
really get judged for it. I find that so strange.
I really do because we have a number of people like in
the documentary, like Michael Bergen, for example, he
(12:24):
found his passion in real estate and he's very successful and
very happy. There's a
whole stigma of, well, because you failed at the other thing. But
it's just there's so much more to people than one avenue.
For sure, and I think that's part of the story we tell ourselves is that we'll be seen as
(12:44):
a quote-unquote failure if we shift, if we turn away,
if we do something else when really we're just building on
the success we've had and the lessons we've learned and transitioning to
something new to pursue our purpose. So I agree with you, and I think it's
important to de-stigmatize those transitions. And
motherhood too, right? When people transition to have kids
(13:07):
and you and I are both girl moms. And I know you've been very open
about how much your daughters mean to you. And you know, for women
who are listening, I guess a lot of us share that common experience
of feeling the guilt and the exhaustion and the feeling like
we're doing all the things, but it's, are we doing enough? And we're always questioning,
am I good enough at work? Am I a good enough mother? Um,
(13:28):
I would love to know, you know, how has motherhood shaped the way kind of you see yourself,
your priorities, Or any
Well, it's interesting because I feel like I almost could be
a stay-at-home mom and be happy and so fulfilled
with that. But the truth is they grow up, right? They grow up and
they leave and we're raising these people to set them free. So
(13:52):
I've been very fortunate and I'm 100% single
mother to both of the girls. So it was
very important for me to spend that extra time and
do double duty as, you know, to make sure that they don't feel like
they're missing anything. And at the same time, you
know, I want to show them that a woman on her own
(14:13):
can do it. And I wanna be a success story
for them. And it's sort of where I'm at right now too is
because I need to go back to work. I need to figure out my
next steps and it's really difficult. It's
a really difficult thing to do. And I
just, you know, every day I have to say to myself, I'm here. And
(14:36):
that's, that, I have that going for me. I'm alive.
I could do anything now. So I just have to remember to
stay positive in that while I, while
I, while, excuse me, I explore, you know, what the next
chapter looks like. And it's, you know, it's
not easy. It's not easy at all. But, um, my
(14:57):
girls keep me going and they give me motivation and
they give me purpose and, um, strength behind
all of it. So, I mean, I'm not sure if I
answered your question. I went off on a, uh, the
Yeah, no, I think it is purpose, right? I mean, there's
there's different types of purpose. And I think motherhood is is definitely up.
(15:20):
It is. And maybe not for everybody. You
know, every mother mothers differently. And
I respect that as well. For sure. So yeah,
it's just it's how you success to me
is how you how it works for you. So say we pivot in our career. Yeah,
we might get judged for that. But if we stay where we're unhappy, that's
(15:43):
not success. Success is moving to where you're
enjoying your life and whatever that is. And that's
in motherhood, in work, in all of it, in life in general, in your relationships. You
just have to, you know, drown out the noise and
go after like what makes you happy. And then there's your
(16:03):
A hundred percent. I love that. I want to talk about for a
minute, transition to the concept of resilience because
you have a certain take on resilience that
deeply resonated with me and I so appreciated. When people tell
you that, Nicole, you're so resilient, your response is, well, I didn't have
a choice. Yeah. Right. And I
(16:25):
think that statement is just so incredibly powerful because I think
it's very misunderstood. It really struck a chord with me
because You know, a lot of times people think resilience is about being strong
or being brave, but sometimes it's about surviving. It's about
showing up and doing what has to be done. So I
would love to hear more about your take on resilience and what it
(16:48):
Yeah, it's very interesting because Yeah,
you hear people say, oh, you're so resilient. You're a warrior.
You're winning. This isn't a battle. It
really isn't. And that then puts a stigma
on people who who
don't go into remission, right? Or it comes back
(17:10):
as metastatic cancer. It's more than one in three women, it will
come back. So, yeah, it's hard
because we have no control over that. The
only thing you can do is live in the moment and
help your body in any way that you can, you know, controlling the
controllables and leaving the rest
(17:32):
up to nature. I mean, it is
what it is. This isn't something we can control. And so
I think that just
trying to be in the mindset of enjoying
right now is all you can, is, that's
the hardest part. That's, that's the tough part. If you can do that, then
(17:54):
you're winning. But Yeah,
that's a tough one because people say, oh, well, what else
are you going to do except get up and fight? And
especially for my 13 year old, I don't
want her to be in pain. That's just not an option for
me for her to lose me this early. This is too soon. Our story
(18:16):
is not over. And so it gives me
this, like, there's no option. And I just go forward like that.
And no matter what we have to face, I'm going to face it. And we're
going to do our best. And we're going to enjoy as much as we can while
we're doing it. But
as far as being a warrior and resilient and
all those things, we don't really, there's not a choice. That's not, it's
(18:41):
Yeah, it's not an option, right? And I would imagine it also
helps you to get really crystal clear on your priorities in
It does. And it brings a sense of fearlessness too
that I didn't expect and that I very much
appreciate because you realize you have nothing to
lose. You realize that this journey can end at
(19:03):
any moment. And did you do the things you wanted
to do? Are you the person you wanted to be? And
what have we been afraid of? What have we been holding back on? And
all of those things become Just wide
open at least for me. It just just they just opened up
and it was like, okay I am NOT gonna hate on my
(19:24):
body for another second. It is getting me through this I
I gained a lot of weight from The steroids that
were on I you know, I blew up It's it's interesting because when I started the
journey in the treatment facility you saw the people who were
getting nauseous and losing a lot of weight and then you saw the people like
myself that I We didn't have nausea and we just kept
(19:46):
gaining weight and gaining weight and we just kept getting bigger and bigger and the
other people kept getting more frail. And it was like, it's so
interesting how every body is so different. So I
refused to be upset with my body because it was fighting for
me. And it gets up and it does so much for
me every day that I took for granted and all I did was criticize it
(20:07):
for so many years when it was getting me up
and letting me enjoy this life and live this incapable of
living a beautiful life. And so that
won't happen again. There's no more hating this body.
who's such a beautiful lesson there for all women, right? And we
(20:28):
have one home and to take care of it and honor it and
That's right. And it's your, it's your vessel. It's what
you've been given and it's, you know, it's how you treat it
as well. Um, so I, I dove, I
really dove into being a lot more health conscious and, you
know, doing all of the things. And I feel like, um, On
(20:51):
the outside, I look healthier than I did before my diagnosis. So
strange, you know, it's just interesting. And people will
say, oh, you look so great. You're doing so great. Well, inside, you
know, there's a different story. Like, don't let the outer fool you. But
yes, what I'm putting into my body spiritually, mentally, and
physically by eating the right things, it does
(21:12):
change. It changes everything. And I feel like
the appreciation for my body also made it makes
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I wish I could encapsulate that and
just package that up. But it's here to my eyes. So
beyond acting, Nicole, you've stepped into the world of podcasting with
(21:35):
Perfectly Twisted. It's a raw and real space. And
I love listening to you on the show, where you share your own
journey, your thoughts, your experiences in a real way that resonates with
people. So tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start the podcast. And
You know, especially coming out of doing the
documentary and me wanting to showcase everybody so
(21:58):
that the world could get to know all these people, I felt like
this was a good way for me to do that for myself. I
feel like I've been very shy away from media. A
lot of things that you would read if you were to look me up and read
about me has nothing to do with who I am as a
person. And I just feel
(22:19):
like there's never really been opportunity
for me to let people really get to know who I am and
you know my stories and what I've been through and my thoughts and
so Dave my co-host and I We
just toyed with the idea and we said let's give it a shot I didn't know
if I was gonna be comfortable with it and You
(22:41):
know, I fell in love with doing it. It's just such a fun fun
escape and such a just it's a good time Yeah,
Yeah Yeah, it's
a great show. And you've lived so many lives, an actress, a
businesswoman, podcast host, mother, advocate, and I know your
story is still being written. There's much more to come. What's next
(23:05):
That's the question of the hour. I'm
not sure and I feel like the world is really open to me right
now. I feel like I could really I could do whatever I put
my mind to at this moment. I just have to figure out what that
is. I honestly do I I'm I
will shoot a lifetime a part
(23:27):
in the Lifetime movie coming up at the end of the month which is
It's very interesting the timing of that coming up because I
wasn't sure if acting was going to be where I
was going. The competition and the jump back in it
is so difficult. And so I did an audition at
home and booked the part. And it's amazing because
(23:49):
it's the Courtney Stodden story and it's
a female empowerment. I
just have a small part where I play her. Therapist
in rehab, so I'll do a day on it. But for
me, that's so cool to be the therapist in something
and to support her I really love her as a person and her
(24:10):
story is Really hits home for
for myself and for anybody that's you know been through sexual
abuse And I think
that Yeah, I think it's
sort of maybe pulling me back in saying wait a minute.
I Because it's such a good vehicle. It's such a you
(24:31):
know, and and it Yeah, so I get to
go do that and see how I feel and how my body feels and
you know and doing it because I'm also on a ton of
new medication and immunotherapy and all of these things. So
I'm adjusting to that. I get really tired very quickly. So,
you know, it'll take me a few months to get acclimated to these. And
(24:54):
then, you know, let's see, you know, is spending
a day on set, that'll be very interesting to see if, yeah, if
Incredible. And what an amazing place to be is, you
know, the world is your oyster. There's so many opportunities. And sometimes there's such
beauty in saying, you know, I'm not sure what's next for me.
(25:14):
But being open and curious and exploring, I think, again,
for so many high achieving women, that's scary. It's a scary place not to
know, not to have all the answers, not to have, you know,
the rest of our life mapped out. But I think there's such beauty
Yeah. And, you know, you have to really learn your patience because, you
know, you have to let life unfold. And, you know,
(25:36):
I'm somebody, I'm a Capricorn. I do things right away. I'm not much of a
procrastinator and I want everything to happen right now, right now, right now. So
to have to, you know, really practice on letting life unfold
and letting things happen in their time is something
(25:59):
Absolutely. Nicola, I would just want to say you're extraordinary, not
just because you had no choice but to be resilient, but because you continue
to choose to show up, to fight, to inspire. And I want to thank
you so much for sharing so openly and for really reminding us
all about what really matters. For anyone who's
listening and wants to follow you, your journey, your podcast, where can they
(26:20):
Well, the podcast is perfectlytwistedpodcast.com. And
I'm on social media, verified accounts. Instagram is
underscore Nicole underscore Eggert, but it's verified. So that's
me because there are some tricksters out there. And
on Facebook, it's Nicole Eggert verified. And TikTok, it's
Nicole Eggert official. So those are all
(26:47):
Perfect. And I want to thank you so much again for being here. I mean, you are
truly a force, you're a beautiful soul inside and out. And I really cannot
wait to see where your next chapter leads you. And we wish you all
Thank you. And this is Gia signing off with gratitude for your time and
energy. Our mic drops, but the movement continues. Until next
time, your next chapter is waiting. Take care. That
(27:10):
concludes another empowering episode of Your Future Starts Now.
Before we wrap up, I wanna thank this incredible community of high-achieving women.
Your energy, resilience, and commitment to growth are the driving force
behind what we do. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate
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feedback fuels our mission to empower high-achieving women just like
(27:32):
you. And of course, share Your Future Starts Now with the extraordinary women
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explore in future episodes. Stay connected on Instagram at
GiaLacqua. I encourage you to carry the energy of this conversation
into your day and keep on supporting the incredible women around you.
Welcome to Your Future Starts Now, the go-to podcast for
extraordinary women who are ready to step into their next chapter with
authentic confidence. I'm your host, Gia Laqua, empowerment coach,
motivational speaker, children's book author, and girl mom. Whether
you're a corporate powerhouse or an entrepreneur, this show is
designed for you. Your Future Starts Now is more than
(00:20):
just a podcast. It's a movement, a movement towards rewriting
the rules of success for high-achieving women. Are you ready
to get unstuck and step into your next chapter? If
so, you are exactly where you need to be. Your future starts
now. Welcome to Your Future Starts Now, the
podcast dedicated to helping high-achieving women redefine success. I'm
(00:43):
your host, Gia Lacqua, and do I have a very special guest
for you today. Today, I have the absolute honor of sitting down
with a woman whose career has spanned decades, whose talent has
made a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, and whose
personal journey of resilience is nothing short of
inspiring. You may know Nicole Eggert from Charles
(01:03):
in Charge, Baywatch, and countless other TV and film projects.
But beyond the spotlight, she's a devoted mother, a storyteller, and
advocate who continues to show up with strength and authenticity even
in the face of life's biggest challenges. Nicole, welcome
to the show. I am truly grateful to have you here with us. That was such
a nice introduction. Thank you so much. It's nice to
(01:26):
be here. I'm excited to chat with
you today. So, you know, before we dive in, I
just, you know, some of our listeners may or may not know, I just
want to acknowledge, take a moment to acknowledge something that's incredibly important
and personal to you. And in 23, you were
diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, a
(01:46):
battle that no one ever expects to face. And
you've been incredibly open about your journey, not just for yourself, but
to raise awareness for others. And in the middle of
all of this, you've been producing the Baywatch docuseries,
which we'll get to in just a minute. But you've said that that sort
of gave you a renewed sense of purpose. And
(02:09):
so I would love to know, can you share what it's been like for you to balance that
personal battle while still putting your energy into something creative
Well, when I actually got my diagnosis in October and
of 2023, You
know, I just really immersed myself in the world of
cancer and what I could do, what
(02:32):
was going to happen, you know, what are my choices and learning
so much about it. But there comes a point where suddenly that's
all your world is. And I
needed some normalcy. So, you know, continuing to do the documentary
was first on my list because we had been doing it
already for four years. We were four years in. it
(02:54):
definitely gave me a break and brought me back to
when life was much more normal and had
a different kind of purpose. So, you know, it
was a really lovely balance for me. And being
a mother also, you know, when
you have young kids, there's not, you
(03:15):
know, you have to step away from what you're going through and still be
mom and run the show, so
to speak, and make everything still happen as smoothly and
seamlessly as possible. So those were sort of my
reliefs from the cancer talk and cancer thoughts
(03:40):
Yeah. Yeah. So, and I appreciate you
sharing that. I think, you know, the purpose and the passion and the love surrounding
you, I imagine must have been a huge support in going
Yeah. It's, um, you know, and it's strange because in
your close personal world, um, a lot of people have
different reactions to it and you kind of lose a lot of friends in the
(04:03):
process as well, which I found fascinating. Um,
but the public and strangers and other, um,
cancer patients and survivors and came
and surrounded me, you know and lifted me up and
really kind of showed me the light and the way
and sharing their stories and their experiences and things that
(04:25):
work for them and don't work for them and It
just I couldn't have done it without it with you know, it's
such a tight-knit world and community and it's
Absolutely. Shows you the power of those communities. Yes. Yeah,
(04:46):
for sure. So talking about the the docuseries, as
we know, you know, Baywatch became a global phenomenon that really shaped
pop culture. And you recently produced after
Baywatch, A Moment in the Sun, which I recently had a chance to check
out on Hulu. And it was amazing. I
will say it made me emotional. And
(05:07):
I, to be honest, truth be told, you and I are both straight shooters, so
I feel like I can say this. I was never a huge Baywatch fan. I
mean, I watched some episodes and I knew of it. I mean,
now Charles is in charge, so that's a different story. But,
you know, it still made me very emotional when I heard
the stories coming through, you know, the individual interviews,
(05:30):
and it was incredibly powerful. But I would love to just
start with, like, what inspired you to do this project? And
what do you really hope for people to take away that maybe
I think you really kind of nailed why I wanted to
do it. It's exactly why. You know, it was
with Baywatch, it was this show that was kind of campy and
(05:51):
not taken too seriously. And, you
know, it was always like the same stories regurgitated over
and over about the people in the cast. And it was always just this
slew of like red bathing suits and hot bodies with big
hair. You know, it was, people were interchangeable and
it just was a brand and you didn't, you didn't really get to know the individuals.
(06:13):
And there's some amazing stories in there and, you
know, people's reason for wanting to be a part of the show. And,
you know, um, it really kind of, for all the
women, it was so empowering, which, you
know, in the media, they played it, they spun it to be, you
know, anti-feminism. And it wasn't, it
(06:34):
was very much. you know, women in power, women getting paid
the same and doing the same job as men, and just
everybody looking great while doing it. And it's, you know,
yeah, there's just so many success stories and people's journeys
before the show, during the show, how it changed their lives and
where they are now, because it's many, many years later, it's
(06:56):
lifetimes later. And I just wanted people
to see all the good stuff that they never got to
see about Baywatch and the people involved in creating it.
That was missing. And I felt like that was such a shame. And
it was sort of a swan song also at the same time, you
know, to acknowledge the 35 year
(07:17):
anniversary of it and sort of It
was like a now or never, you know, this is meet
everybody. We lost somebody during, you know, um,
right after it was released and these
things are just monumental. And so, you know, we
lost Michael Newman and if we hadn't done this, you
(07:38):
know, we wouldn't have been able to interview him and hear his story and what
an important piece of the puzzle he was to the show. And, um,
yeah, just, you get to know people as who they are and not just what
It's beautiful. And there's something you said at the very beginning of
the first episode that really hit
(07:59):
home for me. You talk about how on
the outside, everything looked perfect, right? Everything was,
everyone was beautiful and famous and living
what seemed to be the dream. But behind the
scenes, no one really saw the person underneath it all. I think the words
you used were there was no real truth to people's journey. Yeah.
(08:26):
Yeah. Yes. And, you know, and I
think it's important too, because they did a lot of media play
where they would pit the females against each other and that was all
just made up and it wasn't real. And in fact, everybody really supported
each other on that show. And, you know, that's just what
sold back then was the chaos, you know, and the drama. So
(08:47):
they would conjure up things and it's
good to let everybody finally see that those days are behind us.
We're more into supporting and lifting each other up. So let's tell
Yeah, I love that. And I think the vulnerability and the
honesty is so important too, because to your point,
(09:12):
Yes. And the struggles. Yeah. People were really going through
Yeah, sure, for sure. So you've been in
the entertainment industry since childhood, I know. And
looking back, you know, what what moments stand out
to you as kind of the most defining, not just professionally, but
(09:32):
personally in terms of your growth and development?
Um, I, you know, honestly what comes
to mind first is sort of when I stepped away from it all to
be able to digest it. Um, when you
grow up doing something and I've, that's all I've ever
done and all I've ever known. Um, you have
(09:53):
to take a moment and I was asked all the time, what would you have done
if you weren't an actress? And it's like, well, that's the turmoil in my
own head. I don't know. And, um, you
know, what do, what, what, What other interests are
there? What other things are there? And because
quite honestly, being an actor is not always the, you
(10:14):
know, you can't always like make
a, it's not sustainable, let's say, right? It can be gone at
any moment. And I'm just one of the lucky few that
I've been able to live a life around
doing what I love. But I think stepping away from it to really
see if that's what my path is
(10:35):
or not and to be able to come back to it with a
different kind of passion and a different kind of love and
Yeah. What you said is so important because in
the work that I do, I talk a lot about taking that pause. So many
of us are not in the spotlight as you were publicly, but
(10:56):
we do often find ourselves going down this path and
then we feel sort of stuck in it because we don't know anything else.
Right. And it's kind of scary to lift your head up and say, what else is
out there when you don't know what else is out there? Right. But this is
what you know. And so that can be incredibly hard
for women who have poured themselves into a
(11:17):
career or a job or a role where
for them to suddenly wake up and say, is this really what I
Yes. And those are big questions. And I'll say one thing about any
job in the world, I think, If you stop and
wonder or you pivot and you change your career, people
(11:37):
say good for you, you know, like, you know, congratulations that
you realized you were more passionate doing something else. But in
the industry, there's a stigma and
it's that you couldn't get work or you're irrelevant or,
you know, you can't get a job. And it's, it's really unfortunate
because, it's an added pressure that shouldn't be
(12:00):
there. So if you do want to pivot and you do want to do something else
and venture out and explore another avenue or,
you know, workplace, you
really get judged for it. I find that so strange.
I really do because we have a number of people like in
the documentary, like Michael Bergen, for example, he
(12:24):
found his passion in real estate and he's very successful and
very happy. There's a
whole stigma of, well, because you failed at the other thing. But
it's just there's so much more to people than one avenue.
For sure, and I think that's part of the story we tell ourselves is that we'll be seen as
(12:44):
a quote-unquote failure if we shift, if we turn away,
if we do something else when really we're just building on
the success we've had and the lessons we've learned and transitioning to
something new to pursue our purpose. So I agree with you, and I think it's
important to de-stigmatize those transitions. And
motherhood too, right? When people transition to have kids
(13:07):
and you and I are both girl moms. And I know you've been very open
about how much your daughters mean to you. And you know, for women
who are listening, I guess a lot of us share that common experience
of feeling the guilt and the exhaustion and the feeling like
we're doing all the things, but it's, are we doing enough? And we're always questioning,
am I good enough at work? Am I a good enough mother? Um,
(13:28):
I would love to know, you know, how has motherhood shaped the way kind of you see yourself,
your priorities, Or any
Well, it's interesting because I feel like I almost could be
a stay-at-home mom and be happy and so fulfilled
with that. But the truth is they grow up, right? They grow up and
they leave and we're raising these people to set them free. So
(13:52):
I've been very fortunate and I'm 100% single
mother to both of the girls. So it was
very important for me to spend that extra time and
do double duty as, you know, to make sure that they don't feel like
they're missing anything. And at the same time, you
know, I want to show them that a woman on her own
(14:13):
can do it. And I wanna be a success story
for them. And it's sort of where I'm at right now too is
because I need to go back to work. I need to figure out my
next steps and it's really difficult. It's
a really difficult thing to do. And I
just, you know, every day I have to say to myself, I'm here. And
(14:36):
that's, that, I have that going for me. I'm alive.
I could do anything now. So I just have to remember to
stay positive in that while I, while
I, while, excuse me, I explore, you know, what the next
chapter looks like. And it's, you know, it's
not easy. It's not easy at all. But, um, my
(14:57):
girls keep me going and they give me motivation and
they give me purpose and, um, strength behind
all of it. So, I mean, I'm not sure if I
answered your question. I went off on a, uh, the
Yeah, no, I think it is purpose, right? I mean, there's
there's different types of purpose. And I think motherhood is is definitely up.
(15:20):
It is. And maybe not for everybody. You
know, every mother mothers differently. And
I respect that as well. For sure. So yeah,
it's just it's how you success to me
is how you how it works for you. So say we pivot in our career. Yeah,
we might get judged for that. But if we stay where we're unhappy, that's
(15:43):
not success. Success is moving to where you're
enjoying your life and whatever that is. And that's
in motherhood, in work, in all of it, in life in general, in your relationships. You
just have to, you know, drown out the noise and
go after like what makes you happy. And then there's your
(16:03):
A hundred percent. I love that. I want to talk about for a
minute, transition to the concept of resilience because
you have a certain take on resilience that
deeply resonated with me and I so appreciated. When people tell
you that, Nicole, you're so resilient, your response is, well, I didn't have
a choice. Yeah. Right. And I
(16:25):
think that statement is just so incredibly powerful because I think
it's very misunderstood. It really struck a chord with me
because You know, a lot of times people think resilience is about being strong
or being brave, but sometimes it's about surviving. It's about
showing up and doing what has to be done. So I
would love to hear more about your take on resilience and what it
(16:48):
Yeah, it's very interesting because Yeah,
you hear people say, oh, you're so resilient. You're a warrior.
You're winning. This isn't a battle. It
really isn't. And that then puts a stigma
on people who who
don't go into remission, right? Or it comes back
(17:10):
as metastatic cancer. It's more than one in three women, it will
come back. So, yeah, it's hard
because we have no control over that. The
only thing you can do is live in the moment and
help your body in any way that you can, you know, controlling the
controllables and leaving the rest
(17:32):
up to nature. I mean, it is
what it is. This isn't something we can control. And so
I think that just
trying to be in the mindset of enjoying
right now is all you can, is, that's
the hardest part. That's, that's the tough part. If you can do that, then
(17:54):
you're winning. But Yeah,
that's a tough one because people say, oh, well, what else
are you going to do except get up and fight? And
especially for my 13 year old, I don't
want her to be in pain. That's just not an option for
me for her to lose me this early. This is too soon. Our story
(18:16):
is not over. And so it gives me
this, like, there's no option. And I just go forward like that.
And no matter what we have to face, I'm going to face it. And we're
going to do our best. And we're going to enjoy as much as we can while
we're doing it. But
as far as being a warrior and resilient and
all those things, we don't really, there's not a choice. That's not, it's
(18:41):
Yeah, it's not an option, right? And I would imagine it also
helps you to get really crystal clear on your priorities in
It does. And it brings a sense of fearlessness too
that I didn't expect and that I very much
appreciate because you realize you have nothing to
lose. You realize that this journey can end at
(19:03):
any moment. And did you do the things you wanted
to do? Are you the person you wanted to be? And
what have we been afraid of? What have we been holding back on? And
all of those things become Just wide
open at least for me. It just just they just opened up
and it was like, okay I am NOT gonna hate on my
(19:24):
body for another second. It is getting me through this I
I gained a lot of weight from The steroids that
were on I you know, I blew up It's it's interesting because when I started the
journey in the treatment facility you saw the people who were
getting nauseous and losing a lot of weight and then you saw the people like
myself that I We didn't have nausea and we just kept
(19:46):
gaining weight and gaining weight and we just kept getting bigger and bigger and the
other people kept getting more frail. And it was like, it's so
interesting how every body is so different. So I
refused to be upset with my body because it was fighting for
me. And it gets up and it does so much for
me every day that I took for granted and all I did was criticize it
(20:07):
for so many years when it was getting me up
and letting me enjoy this life and live this incapable of
living a beautiful life. And so that
won't happen again. There's no more hating this body.
who's such a beautiful lesson there for all women, right? And we
(20:28):
have one home and to take care of it and honor it and
That's right. And it's your, it's your vessel. It's what
you've been given and it's, you know, it's how you treat it
as well. Um, so I, I dove, I
really dove into being a lot more health conscious and, you
know, doing all of the things. And I feel like, um, On
(20:51):
the outside, I look healthier than I did before my diagnosis. So
strange, you know, it's just interesting. And people will
say, oh, you look so great. You're doing so great. Well, inside, you
know, there's a different story. Like, don't let the outer fool you. But
yes, what I'm putting into my body spiritually, mentally, and
physically by eating the right things, it does
(21:12):
change. It changes everything. And I feel like
the appreciation for my body also made it makes
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I wish I could encapsulate that and
just package that up. But it's here to my eyes. So
beyond acting, Nicole, you've stepped into the world of podcasting with
(21:35):
Perfectly Twisted. It's a raw and real space. And
I love listening to you on the show, where you share your own
journey, your thoughts, your experiences in a real way that resonates with
people. So tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start the podcast. And
You know, especially coming out of doing the
documentary and me wanting to showcase everybody so
(21:58):
that the world could get to know all these people, I felt like
this was a good way for me to do that for myself. I
feel like I've been very shy away from media. A
lot of things that you would read if you were to look me up and read
about me has nothing to do with who I am as a
person. And I just feel
(22:19):
like there's never really been opportunity
for me to let people really get to know who I am and
you know my stories and what I've been through and my thoughts and
so Dave my co-host and I We
just toyed with the idea and we said let's give it a shot I didn't know
if I was gonna be comfortable with it and You
(22:41):
know, I fell in love with doing it. It's just such a fun fun
escape and such a just it's a good time Yeah,
Yeah Yeah, it's
a great show. And you've lived so many lives, an actress, a
businesswoman, podcast host, mother, advocate, and I know your
story is still being written. There's much more to come. What's next
(23:05):
That's the question of the hour. I'm
not sure and I feel like the world is really open to me right
now. I feel like I could really I could do whatever I put
my mind to at this moment. I just have to figure out what that
is. I honestly do I I'm I
will shoot a lifetime a part
(23:27):
in the Lifetime movie coming up at the end of the month which is
It's very interesting the timing of that coming up because I
wasn't sure if acting was going to be where I
was going. The competition and the jump back in it
is so difficult. And so I did an audition at
home and booked the part. And it's amazing because
(23:49):
it's the Courtney Stodden story and it's
a female empowerment. I
just have a small part where I play her. Therapist
in rehab, so I'll do a day on it. But for
me, that's so cool to be the therapist in something
and to support her I really love her as a person and her
(24:10):
story is Really hits home for
for myself and for anybody that's you know been through sexual
abuse And I think
that Yeah, I think it's
sort of maybe pulling me back in saying wait a minute.
I Because it's such a good vehicle. It's such a you
(24:31):
know, and and it Yeah, so I get to
go do that and see how I feel and how my body feels and
you know and doing it because I'm also on a ton of
new medication and immunotherapy and all of these things. So
I'm adjusting to that. I get really tired very quickly. So,
you know, it'll take me a few months to get acclimated to these. And
(24:54):
then, you know, let's see, you know, is spending
a day on set, that'll be very interesting to see if, yeah, if
Incredible. And what an amazing place to be is, you
know, the world is your oyster. There's so many opportunities. And sometimes there's such
beauty in saying, you know, I'm not sure what's next for me.
(25:14):
But being open and curious and exploring, I think, again,
for so many high achieving women, that's scary. It's a scary place not to
know, not to have all the answers, not to have, you know,
the rest of our life mapped out. But I think there's such beauty
Yeah. And, you know, you have to really learn your patience because, you
know, you have to let life unfold. And, you know,
(25:36):
I'm somebody, I'm a Capricorn. I do things right away. I'm not much of a
procrastinator and I want everything to happen right now, right now, right now. So
to have to, you know, really practice on letting life unfold
and letting things happen in their time is something
(25:59):
Absolutely. Nicola, I would just want to say you're extraordinary, not
just because you had no choice but to be resilient, but because you continue
to choose to show up, to fight, to inspire. And I want to thank
you so much for sharing so openly and for really reminding us
all about what really matters. For anyone who's
listening and wants to follow you, your journey, your podcast, where can they
(26:20):
Well, the podcast is perfectlytwistedpodcast.com. And
I'm on social media, verified accounts. Instagram is
underscore Nicole underscore Eggert, but it's verified. So that's
me because there are some tricksters out there. And
on Facebook, it's Nicole Eggert verified. And TikTok, it's
Nicole Eggert official. So those are all
(26:47):
Perfect. And I want to thank you so much again for being here. I mean, you are
truly a force, you're a beautiful soul inside and out. And I really cannot
wait to see where your next chapter leads you. And we wish you all
Thank you. And this is Gia signing off with gratitude for your time and
energy. Our mic drops, but the movement continues. Until next
time, your next chapter is waiting. Take care. That
(27:10):
concludes another empowering episode of Your Future Starts Now.
Before we wrap up, I wanna thank this incredible community of high-achieving women.
Your energy, resilience, and commitment to growth are the driving force
behind what we do. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate
it, leave a review, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your
feedback fuels our mission to empower high-achieving women just like
(27:32):
you. And of course, share Your Future Starts Now with the extraordinary women
in your life who are also on a journey of healing and empowerment. Connect
with us on social media, share your thoughts, let us know what topics you'd like to
explore in future episodes. Stay connected on Instagram at
GiaLacqua. I encourage you to carry the energy of this conversation
into your day and keep on supporting the incredible women around you.
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